Automatic expression control for player-pianos.



M. S. HOWARD.

AUTOMATIC EXPRESSION CONTROL FOR PLAIYERYPIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. IBIS.

Patented July 4; 1916.

IN I/ E N TOR Maw/mi J7 flwmm,

WITNESSES:

BY inn-Human.

.To all whom it may concern:

lowing' is a specification.

' UNITED sTarrEs- PATENT OFFICE.

Monitor: sf. HOWARD, 0F wAUKom-IowA,

AUTOMATIC nxrnnssroiv CONTROL roa PLAYER-memos.

Be it known. that I,- Moi\*non a -c1t1zen of the'United States, and a resident of lVaukon, in the .county ofAllamake'efand Stateof Iowa,'have invented an Improvement in Automatic Expression Control for Player-Pianos, of which the fol- One of the "principal for varying the .force with which the individual notes of the piano are struck, and thusembodying to the maximum degree the accent, touch and expressiom and the vary- :ing degrees of loudness utilizedby a pianistrangement, disposition and formation of the openings cut-1n the music roll, so that an artlsts rendition of a musical compositlonmay be exactly reproduced by the use of a niusic' roll out according to a record made composition.

by the, pianist duringthe rendition of the A further objectis to provide a control .for the individual striking pneumatics, by connecting them with the tracker bar of the apparatus .and by controlling the admission- -of air at atmospheric pressure to the striking pneumatics through the action of the music roll in controlling the auxiliary open- .ings provided in the tracker bar and which are in vcommunication with the striking neumatics, so that the degree of vacuum obtained in these pneumatlcs may thus be regulated and. hence the force .of the strokes given the notes through the action of the pneumatics be automatically varied and controlled.

I A still further object is to prov de a de; 3 vice of the class described which Wlll be ex;

. tremely simple, durable, efiicient-in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in View which will become apparent as the descrip- Specification of Letters Yatent.

S. HOWARD,

objects of this invention 15 to provide an improved means pneumatics and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanymgdrawings in which like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several figures, of whic Figure '1 represents a view in section taken vertically and transversely through the operating mechanism of a player piano,

embodying one conception of my invention. 7 Fig. 2 represents a similarview showing a modified conception of the device. Fig. 3

represents a fragmentary elevational view of a tracker bar-and music sheet.

My invention is capable of being used with many various kinds of operating mechanisms for player pianos, and is here shown as in Patented July 4,1916. Application filed June 22,1915. Serial Np.35,572.: I

tion proceeds, the invention resides in the .COIlStI'IlCtlOII, combinat on and arrangement of parts here nafter more fully described so I use in a mechanism of well known construc- 5 tion. This operating mechanism includes thetracker bar 5 over which the perforated music sheet is drawn in-controlling the operation. of the mechanlsm as usual. The 0rdinary striking pneumatic through whose action the notes are struck is indicated at '6.

Each 'of the notes of the piano is controlled.

by one of the pneumatics as usual. The ex haust chamber of the apparatus is indicated at 7, and is connected as usual with the striking pneumatic by means of the passage co-action the establishment of communication between the striking pneumatic 6 and the exhaust chamber 7 is attained, are indicated at 9 and 10. The usual communica- .8. The valve mechanisms through whose tion between valve 9 and the tracker bar is established through the tube 11. The operation of the device in exhausting the air in the striking pneumatic to sound a note is well known in the art and therefore need not here be set'out.

My invention relates to -the -manner in 1 and 2, and indeed with other arrangements whichmay fall within the scope of this invention, I utilize a tracker-bar having iliary opening is covered by with openings 13 asshown, and are preten ably of a uniform length and width.

In the embodiment indicated in Fig. 1 a

I chamber 1 1 is provided which communicates directly with vthe striking pneumatic 6,

through a passage 15. Arranged in this chamber is a valve 16 adapted to be controlled by a penumatic 17. The valve is adapted to control an opening 18 provided in the upper wall of the chamber and through which opening communication to the outside atmosphere maybe established. Valve 16 is preferably in the form of an inverted cone and the edges defining the opening 18 are preferably beveled, so that as the valve is raised the size of the opening may be enlarged in order that the quantity of air thus admitted to Chamber 1 1' when valve 16 is raised, may be controlled. The valve is maintained in closed position partially through the action of a leaf spring 19 carried by the chamber 14 on the outside thereof and controllable by a set screw 20 whereby the tensio'nof the-spring may be varied. A tube 21, communicating at its outer end with one of the auxiliary openings 12 in the tracker bar, is in communication at its inner end with the valve controlled pneumatic 17, through the medium of a passage 22. This passage is in communication with the exhaust chamber 7 through the medium of a bleed tube 23.

The pressure of the air in tube 21, passage 22 and pneumatic 17 may through the medium of the tube 23 be reduced to the same tension as the air in the exhaust chamber 7. Normally the air in the parts mentioned isexhausted to the same pressure as that in the exhaust chamber when the auxthe solid portion of the music sheet. This sheet as indicated in Fig. 3 is provided with perforations or Openings 24:, portions of which, as at 25, are in alinement with and adapted to pass over the various striking penumatic control openings 13, while other portions 26 thereof are in alinement with and adapted to pass over the auxiliary openings 12. If a note is struck by uncovering one of the openings 13 without uncovering its auxiliary opening 13, there is no tendency for the valve 16 to rise, because tube 21, passage 22 and pneumatic 17 are exhausted to the same pressure as that attained in the exhaust chamber 7 and hence the striking ing pneumatic.

pneumatic 6 will be collapsed with a. maximum force and hence the force exerted in striking the note will not be diminished. If, however, the auxiliary opening 12 is more or less uncovered by the opening in the music sheet the partial vacuum in the'pneuatmospheric air admit-' valve 16 will be overcome and this valve will be allowed to open, and thus atmospheric air. will be admitted to the chamber 14: and to the striking pneumatic 6 so, that further reduction of the pressure in the pneumatic will be prevented and thepneumatic will thus beprevented from striking a blow with full force. It follows that the force of the blow struck by the pneumatic 6 may bevaried, and substantially any degree of force attained by controlling the amount of air admitted through the auxiliary opening.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the chamber 14, valve 16, pneumatic 17 and bleed tube 23 are dispensed with, and the tube 21 is connected directly with the interior of the striking pneumatic (3 through the medium of the passage 15. The operation in this case is substantially similar to. the operation previously described, except that in the form shown in Fig. 2 the tmospheric air is admitted directly into the pneumatic 6 through the auxiliary opening 12, the amount of air so admitted being controlled .by the amount of the opening ancovered by the perforation of the music roll. Both of the devices shown will obtainthe same result, namely, that of controlling the amount of vacuum created in the striking pneumatic 6 by admitting a greater or less amount of atmospheric air to the strik- 7 However, the device shown in Fig. 1. is of a more sensitive nature than that shown in Fig. 2.

By varying the shape of the advance or forward ends of the openings 21 provided in the music sheet, the action of the various striking pneumatics, and hence the force of the blow's by which the notes are struck may be regulated.

It will of course beunderstood that each individual strikingpneumatic is provided with the mechanism whereby the amount of vacuum created in the striking pcnumatic may be regulated, so that the force with which each note is struck may thus be controlled. The openings or perforations provided in the music sheet .thus have the same control over the force. with; which. the indi-- vidual" notes are struck, as iscxercised by a pianist in playing' an instrument manu- "ally. By the use of 'myinvention a music sheet perforated accordingtoarecord made by a pianist in rendering a se1ection,'-may be. used to control the operation. of the striking neumatics in such manner as to exactly imitate-the varying degrees of loudness, ac-1 cent, touch and expression employed'by. the. artist, and thus his conception and indi viduality may be efl'ectively reproduced.

Although I 'have' described the preferred embodiment of my. invention, -I may desire to make such changes. in the construction,

, combination and arrangement of. parts thereof, as do not depart from the spirit of. the invention and the scope of 'thewappen'de'd opened, a control pneumatic for the valve, a

passage connecting said valve control pneumatic with an opening 1n the tracker bar,

' whereby air. at atmospheric pressure may be when the auxiliary opening is uncovered, a

admitted to said valve control pneumatic bleed tube connecting said passage with said exhaust chamber whereby the pressure of air within the passage may be reduced to the pressure of air within the exhaust chamber ,when said opening is closed, and a music sheet-provided with perforations adapted to be brought into registration with said open ing for uncovering it to various degrees whereby the amount of atmospheric air admitted'to'the said passage may be controlled.

2. In a player piano including a tracker bar and a striking pneumatic and means connecting them wherebythe striking-pneumaticjma'y be actuated for striking a note, said means including an exhaust chamber, the combination of a chamber communicating directly with the striki-ng pneumatic and being provided with a valve adapted when opened to allow atmospheric air to enter said chamber whereby to pass into the strik-' ing pneumatic, acontrol pneumatic for coni, trolling the action of said valve, .a passage connecting said control pneumatic with an opening in the tracker. bar, a bleed tube con-' necting said passage and the said exhaust.

chamber, and means whereby theauxiliary opening maybe uncovered and covered to I variousdegrees.

tracker bar, a striking pneumatic, means connecting the tracker, bar and striking pneumatic whereby the latter may be actuated for striking a note, alvalve control means operably connected with said striking pneumatic whereby atmospheric air may be.

the'valve, apassage connecting the pneumatic'with an opening in the tracker bar, and

means whereby the pressure within the passagemay be reduced when the opening is covered wherebyto maintain the valve in closedposition, and a music sheet arranged across the opening and being provided with a plurality of perforations adapted to un cover said opening, to various degrees ,as the music sheet passes thereover,

4. A player piano including a tracker bar,

. a striking pneumatic, means connectingthe admitted to the striking'pneumatic'when the 1 Valve is opened, a pneumatic for-controlling tracker bar and striking pneumatic whereby the latter may be actuated-for sounding a note, means communicating with the striking pneumatic and with an-opening -pro-, vided in the tracker bar, wherebyair-at atmospheric pressure may be admitted to the striker pneumatic when the opening is uncovered, and a music sheet adapted to be drawn across said tracker bar for normally covering the opening, said music sheet being provided with a plurality, of apertures.

adapted to be brought, intoregistration with said opening for uncovering the latter to various degrees whereby various amounts of r atmospheric air maybe admitted to the striking pneumatic.

5. A player piano including a tracker bar and astriking pneumatic, and means communicating with the tracker bar and strik- 1 05 ing pneumatic whereby atmospheric air may be admitted to the latter for reducing the force of the blow struck by 'the striking pneumatic. I 6. In a player piano, the combmation with a tracker bar and strlkmg pneumatic, of

communicating means between the tracker bar and striking pneumatic whereby air at atmospheric pressure may be admitted to the latterfor lessening the blow of the striking pneumatic and means whereby the amounts of atmospheric air so admitted may be con-' trolled.

7 A player piano including a tracker bar 3. In a playerpiano, the combination of aanda striking pneumatic, and means whereby atmospheric air may be admitted to the latter as it collapses for modifying the stroke of the pneumatic.

8. A player piano including a tracker bar provided with an opening, a strikin pneuv. matlc, means connectmg the tracker h ar and striking pneumatic whereby the latter may be actuated for striking a note,communicating means between the opemng and the covered, and means whereby the opening may be uncovered to Various degrees for determining the amount of .air admitted to the striking pneumatic. 9. In a player piano, the combination of a striking pneumatic, means for normally exhausting the pneumatic for collapsing the same with maximum force,-and means for admitting atmospheric air to the pneumatic at will during its collapsing movement for modifying the force of the stroke.

MONROE S. HOlVARD. 

